


Heart, Mind and Soul (Universe Collapse)

by obviouslyelementary



Series: Heart, Mind and Soul [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Drugs, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Love, M/M, Mirror Universe, Multi, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-04 12:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12168684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obviouslyelementary/pseuds/obviouslyelementary
Summary: After the events of "Heart, Mind and Soul (No matter where we are)", Leonard and Spock find themselves stuck in the mirror universe with their Federation counterparts and their Jim.Now, the Federation trio must help Leonard and Spock return to their universe and, luckily, save their James Kirk from the Empire, all while defying the laws of the United Federation of Planets.





	1. Chapter 1

**“My name? James Tiberius Kirk. Captain of the starship Enterprise. Owner of several prizes by the Star Fleet Federation.**

**My mission? Explore the wide universe in hopes of contacting and discovering more and more planets in hope to understand new cultures and bring new people to the Federation of planets.**

**My propose? Bring justice and peace to the universe as a whole”**

\----

“Kirk, James T., step forward”

Kirk growled deeply as two guards pushed him towards the center of the room, making him fall on his knees, legs and wrists tied together. He looked up slowly, expression burning in rage, but eyes calm, serene. 

“Captain James T. Kirk, you have been accused of treason of the Empire and now we hold this Martial Court to judge you from your acts against the government” the judge said, and Kirk chuckled deeply.

“Oh. Sweet” he said, making all the juries look at him. “So I’m gonna be judged? I thought the Empire would just kill me once and for all since their first call went to shit”

“It is irrelevant to this court if you were supposed to be dead or not. You are alive ad you must be count responsible for your actions of treason and war” the judge said, and Kirk rolled his eyes.

“Fine. I am guilty. Kill me”

The jury went silent again.

“Do you not wish to be defended?” the judge asked and Kirk rolled his eyes.

“What for? I am guilty. I ran away, joined the rebels and escaped the empire while knowing I had an order of being killed by my officers. I don’t believe there is any higher form of crime besides indeed fighting the empire” he said, staring at the judge, now bored. “Just kill me and end this already”

The jury stopped and looked between themselves, before the judge looked back at Kirk slowly.

“You will not be killed today, Kirk”

Kirk’s eyes narrowed slowly.

“What?”

“Like we said. You will not be killed today, nor anytime soon, Captain Kirk”

“What why?!” he asked angrily, a theory forming inside him. The judge raised their eyebrow.

“Not of your interest to know. Guards. Take Kirk back to his cell and lock him in there until further notice” they said, making Kirk growl and squirm once he was picked up by the guards. The judge smirked. “Oh. And don’t feel pressured into treating him well. He is an Empire prisoner after all”

Kirk could feel the happiness emanating from the guards pulling him to his cell.

He wasn’t at all happy with that outcome.

\------

**“What do you wish from me, Jim?”**

**“Admiral, I come with a request. A request of something that no man has ever done before”**

\-------

They didn’t know how many days had passed.

A week? Two? A month? 

They didn’t know.

Spock was cured now. That was... something. He felt no more pains in his side. Not where he had been shot anyway. 

But his heart seemed on constant pain.

Leonard hadn’t been much different. For the time Spock had been sick, he had been able to take his mind off the situation. Now, however... He felt more lost than ever before.

They had been quiet for way too long, watching as stars and planets passed through them in the distance. Too far away to attract them by their gravity, too close to pass as void. 

Both knew what they were doing. The risk of opening their mouth and having their tears falling down was too much. 

Perhaps if they stayed quiet and stared outside, Jim would come flying in a spaceship and rescue them.

They didn’t have much food left. Nor much water. 

Spock refused to eat or drink anything unless completely necessary. Most of the time, he meditated, knowing that like that he spent less energy and could stay without food longer. 

Leonard did his best to hold back from the food. He didn’t get too hungry anyway. But as they didn’t know the time or anything, he was constantly afraid he was getting hungry too soon, so normally he waited longer to eat something.

They were decaying fast, with no hopes or future, cursed to wonder through the infinity of space to day’s no end.

And so they spent their days, drifting through space, with no hopes or dreams, with no food or water, with no words or tears. 

\------

**“Jim, what you ask is irresponsible, foolish, dangerous and unnecessary. You want to bring problems to where there is none. The council can’t and won’t allow it”**

**“Sir. With all due respect, you know I don’t follow what the council tells me, and normally I am the correct one in my decisions”**

**“This is not up to you, Jim”**

**“Then, I shall do it myself. Goodbye, admiral”**

\-------

“Jim, I can’t believe you are actually considering this madness!” Bones said, angrily, his eyebrows furrowed and vein popping out of his temple. On Jim’s other side, Spock remained looking calm, but was objecting against the plan as well.

“It is dangerous and it is a risk we do not have to endure” Spock complemented the doctor’s speech. Normally, that would be when Bones would say something about Spock “not agreeing with him because it made him uncomfortable”, but they had gone beyond that point in their relationship.

“Dangerous? Yes. Filled with risks? Yes. Useless and unnecessary? Never” Jim said, turning them and crossing his arms. “Listen to me, both of you. This is crazy, nuts, and I have never thought after the hell I endured the few hours I was in that universe that I would ever want to return there. But this isn’t about me, it isn’t about you and it isn’t about the universe. This is about what I’m feeling, what I think it’s right and what you know you would want to do if you were in their position.

Spock and Bones looked at each other slowly, guilt passing through both pair of eyes, united with worry however.

“Jim” Bones said, slowly, looking at their captain slowly, in doubt. “I understand and I agree. What you want to do is what it is correct to do. But... You don’t know what you will find. When you went there, you stayed inside the ship and were lucky Spock found out about you before everything went to a terrible disaster. This time... You plan to go with our ship, all our crew, and trust... them” he frowned. “Nothing in this entire plan makes it look like we will be in advantage”

Jim sighed and moved closer to them, biting his lip.

“I know. I know it sounds crazy and terrible and everything else. But I am not going with our entire ship and we won’t be staying long. They have to deal with their own problems and we with ours”

“Then you won’t be going alone either” Bones said firmly and Spock nodded.

“Precisely. We shall go with you”

Jim stared at them for a while before a small and emotional smile broke on his face.

There would be no way of convincing them otherwise. He knew those two too well.

“Very well. The three of us will go. And the three of us will return”

\------

Their supplies had ended. Now, they drifted with nothing but silence.

Spock and Leonard knew they would not survive.

But then... then something happened. 

Their escape pod started to shake and tremble and move and they looked around as alarms sounded and warned them of a possible explosion in less than five minutes. 

They looked at each other and waited, their hands reaching out for a last touch, both knowing they would ever leave that place alive.

And then...

Then, they were beamed up.

“Sir! Sir! The objects we beamed up from the storm were objects sir! They were...”

Both Spock and Leonard turned their head slowly from the floor of the spaceship, their glances stopping in not only the weird insignia, but also the men in front of them.

James. 

James!

But it couldn’t be. 

Not when a Leonard with no scar and a Spock with no beard stood next to their James.

It simply couldn’t be.

Unless... 

“Mirror Spock...” James said slowly, his eyes glistening in delight and amusement as his mouth curled up in a smile. 

“We meet again, at last”


	2. Chapter 2

James was sure he was still in his first day in that lonely cell, but honestly it didn’t matter. Not at all. Not the slightest.

He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath and letting his mind wonder. Soon, they would take him away to another planet, somewhere where they could really keep him in check. For now he would just have to deal with that small and empty and dirty cell.

He didn’t mind all that much. Not now.

With his eyes closed, he let himself wonder. Wonder, imagine, dream. Dream of impossible things. Dream with Leo and Spock breaking that facility down and taking him back to their arms. He dreamt of a world that wasn’t so cruel. A world where he could have stayed with his parents, lived a normal life, maybe become captain by his own efforts and not by killing other captains and officers.

A world like the one he had once visited, where Spock had locked him inside a cell with the rest of his crew and not accepted any of his suggestions. A world where they lived in a Federation, ruled by democracy, and not an Empire, ruled by dictators.

And then he chuckled. Tarsus V had existed in both realities. Maybe destiny was just a bitch to any James Tiberius Kirk in any possible universe.

He laughed weakly at his own thoughts, his arms wrapped around his own waist, as if holding him together. He doubted any other James Kirk could be in a worst scenario than himself by now.

Unless...

He sighed again, one hand moving up to his chest, gripping on his prisoner shirt, right above his heart. His eyes stung so much he couldn’t help the tears that followed. Everything hurt. His head, his stomach, his heart, his lungs. Alone, like he was, with no idea if Leo and Spock were alive, he couldn’t even control himself.

He had done it to save them, but now he was unsure if he had at all succeeded.

Before he knew, the tears were sliding down his cheeks, making him bite his lip to hold a sob to the best of his abilities, his entire body trembling and shaking as he held himself together the best he could.

Never once James Kirk would have let himself cry. But now... now he was just Jim and he wanted to be Jim.

“ _Please_ ” he breathed out to nothing, his face pressing down against his knees as he made himself small in that already small cell, sobs echoing against the four walls, tears soaking his knees, dirty hair sticking to his face. His hands gripped to the pants and his toes curled. “ _Please... please..._ ”

“ _I don’t want to be alone... please..._ ”

\-------

“Well, I hope you two are comfortable in your quarters” Jim said, smiling at his partners’ counterparts. Mirror Spock looked up at him slowly, raising his eyebrow, while Mirror Leonard grumbled and waved him off, sitting on the bed and looking around.

“I liked my medical bay better” he mumbled and Jim chuckled, making both men look at him.

“Different universes, same people” he said happily, and then tilted his head. “As I said. We will be returning to your universe in three days. My Spock and Scotty are developing the formula to simulate everything that happened when you were brought. This way, the five of us can be beamed to your Universe, and carry on with the mission from there”

“Eh. Sounds like a plan” Leonard mumbled, yawning tiredly and rubbing the eye with the scar. Spock stared at him before turning back to Jim.

“Could you provide us with some suitable food, captain?” he asked, politely, and Jim gasped before nodding.

“Oh yes of course! I completely forgot. Wait here. Oh and also” he said, smiling as he turned around. “Call me Jim please. None of those formalities”

He then left, closing the door behind him and leaving the counterparts alone.

Spock and Leonard made themselves comfortable on those beds, laying down side by side and staring up at the ceiling. They kept themselves quiet for a long time, and maintained the silence, even when their hands met between them. Leonard kept his hand still, but open, letting Spock touch it.

The touch was slow, and light, but conveyed all the emotion they felt. They were bond, even the softest touch could indicate something. And this one did.

Their minds and hearts connected through that weak vulcan kiss, Leonard’s eyes closing at how much he felt. He felt for both him and Spock, their beings screaming for their lost soul, wondering around a universe and founding nothing more than a suitable substitute. 

This James was not their James, but at that moment, they just needed someone.

They were mind and they were heart but they had no meaning, no life. They breathed, they ate, they functioned, but they didn’t live.

And their life essence was probably dead by now.

At that thought – that neither knew from who had come – their hands moved away and they broke the connection. Leonard’s hands wondered up to his hair, brushing through it and making him take a deep and shaky breath, trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall. Spock placed his hands over his abdomen, staring up, silently, controlling his own emotions the best he could, even if one of his eye seemed to water just a little bit.

They felt empty. Empty and alone.

And yet they were together.

\------

“Jim, are you sure you can trust them?”

Jim sighed deeply for the third time that hour, staring up at Bones from his bed. 

“Yes, Bones, I think we can. I can at least” he said and frowned, sitting up and staring at the doctor. “Why do you think we can’t? They are you. Just... more aggressive”

“I am just afraid that they aren’t as nice as they make themselves look like” Bones groaned and sat down next to Jim. “In my region we say ‘you can’t trust a hunt dog without a muzzle’.”

“W-what? That’s not even a saying, Bones, come on” Jim rolled his eyes and laid down, looking at the wall and frowning as he drew random patterns on the sheets with his finger. “Just... they are sad. They are lost. I know we can’t trust them but I do. I do because I trust you, and therefor I trust them. It’s just... a me thing. Trusting Leonard McCoy’s and Spock’s” he mumbled and closed his eyes when he felt arms wrapping around his waist, pulling him closer.

“I know” Bones muttered against Jim’s hair, nuzzling against it before pulling back and looking down at the captain, who turned his head to look at the doctor. “I am just worried you are letting yourself get carried away too easily by their tragic story...”

“You are worried about me. As usual” Jim chuckled and Bones smirked. “I don’t mind. I like the attention”

“Oh, I know you do” he hummed softly and leaned down, kissing Jim’s lips and then down his neck, making him shiver and smile contently. “Should we wait for our elf or...”

“I don’t think he will mind” Jim said honestly and turned around, holding Bones’ face and kissing him slowly, being easily and quickly responded. 

They didn’t have to worry about it all that much after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I didn't have classes this morning so I decided to write another chapter!
> 
> This story is starting to form in my head and a lot of things are gonna happen omg
> 
> Leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed, and thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James in prison, Jim confronting his choices and Mirror Leonard coming to his conclusion.
> 
> Perhaps soon they will finally, finally meet again.

The next day, James woke up in flames.

“Get up, traitor” the guard growled, slashing down the whip against James’ back. He moaned in pain, tired, confused, and blinked his eyes open to look up at the man. His mistake. As soon as his face came to view, the whip came down again against his cheek, making him scream in pain and turn his face away from the attacker. The guard laughed.

“Histur, stop it” he heard another voice coming, and the laugh stopped. Someone approached and pulled James up by his arm, their face serious as they stared back at him. “Come on, Kirk. Your first day in the prison begins”

James growled at the alien who had whipped him, his cheek bleeding from the cut as well as his back. He knew no one in that place would have mercy on him, but at least some kind of good treatment would be nice. Had them all suddenly forgotten how much he had done to the empire already? How many he had killed, how many had joined because of him?

How much he had lost?

Was it never enough?

He closed his eyes as he was practically dragged through the hallways, his eyes stinging and filling with tears. He was no longer the strong and clever Captain Kirk. Now, he was just another prisoner with a sad story and a way too weak heart.

He missed them. He missed his brother, his sister in law, his nephew. He missed his mother and his father. He missed his ship, his crew, his patent. 

He missed Leonard, and he missed Spock.

And most of all, he missed that life he could never have.

As he reached wherever that guy was taking him, he was sat down in a very hard and uncomfortable sit. His eyes blinked open slowly, as he tried to keep in the tears he knew he couldn’t spare in that environment. As he took a clear vision of where he was, he felt surprised.

“Admiral Marcus?”

\----------

“Jim”

Jim blinked his eyes slowly, turning to his left, where Spock laid. When he met the dark eyes, he smiled, reaching out to caress his head.

“Yes?”

“You should sleep. Something concerns you” the vulcan whispered, their voices being muffled by the loud snoring on Spock’s left side. At least someone was able to sleep.

“Yeah...” Jim mumbles, looking back at the ceiling, biting his bottom lip and furrowing his eyebrows. Spock didn’t move or say anything. “I am... worried”

“I noticed” Spock whispered. “What bothers you, Jim?”

“What bothers me... is in how much trouble I am getting into only for the fact that I can’t, possibly, leave you two in that lonely state, no matter how different they are” he said, closing his eyes slowly. “I don’t say that around Bones because... He will tell me to give up, and I don’t want to. I want to make them happy. But... I am afraid that they might change sides”

“If they love their Jim as much as us, or as much as they say they do, they will not change sides. Their logical solution will be to follow us and do as commanded. They would never hurt you” Spock said, looking at Jim and making the captain look back at him. 

“I am not thinking about me, mister Spock” he said slowly, and Spock raised his eyebrow in that way of his that made all Jim’s worries vanish and a smile grow on his face. 

“If they try to hurt us, we will defend ourselves. You do not have to worry Jim” he whispered, and Jim smiled, turning to his side and wiggling closer. Once they were chest to chest, Jim nodded, caressing Spock’s face and then leaning up to press a soft kiss against his mouth.

“I know...”

But he feared.

\----------

“Are we really going back?”

Spock raised an eyebrow from where he sat, turning to the doctor slowly.

“Do we have any other choice, Leo?”

“Well...” Leonard sighed, rubbing the back of his head and slowly walking towards the bed, where Spock was. “Technically no. But you know what I mean, Spock. If we do go back... Jim is probably dead already and we will be the next in line”

Spock kept his eyebrow raised.

“I thought you were the one to say never to lose hope” he said slowly, and Leonard chuckled weakly, sitting down and putting his face on his hands, rubbing it before moving back.

“No. Who said that was Jim” he said, slowly, looking at Spock, and the vulcan seemed to understand his sentiment right away. His hand moved over the doctor’s in a simple gesture, not in a Vulcan kiss but in a comforting matter, a human touch, that made the doctor chuckle through the new forming tears. “We can’t... let ourselves believe in something that will probably not be true, Spock”

“Leo” he whispered, and Leonard looked at him, slowly, because his Spock had never sounded more human than that single moment. “I fear for him. I fear for us. And I have never feared in my entire life. But this is not about fearing the possible outcome of our mission. This is about whether you believe Jim is alive or not. And I do” he said, and Leonard saw the brightness in Spock’s eyes. “I believe, Leo. For the first time since I know of my existence I believe in something illogical and possibly impossible. But I believe. And I will go back and try to find him once again. However, I have no facts nor information to make you believe in me. This is what Jim would call a ‘gut feeling’. And I must follow it”

Leonard blinked his tears back slowly as he heard Spock talking, never once seeing his bearded vulcan so... human. So emotional. 

That was when he decided, that even if Jim wasn’t alive, he would go after Spock to the end of the universe and back, for any reason, for any motive. 

“I will follow too” he said, and held Spock’s hand. “As long as you are there to guide me through it”

“I am and always shall be” Spock whispered, moving his fingers to the right position, pressing his fingers against Leonard’s, before his free hand moved up to the doctor’s hair and pulled him for a slow, passionate kiss.

At least they still had each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought there would be no update this week, uF, luckily I got inspired. 
> 
> Tell me what you thought and I hope to see you guys next week! Leave kudos if you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> So hey, I'm back! With the sequel at last!
> 
> However, I must say that since I am in college now, I will not be able to post at least one chapter a day. 
> 
> I will try to make at least one each week, in weekends when I have more time. However, I can't be sure I will be able to write as much.
> 
> I hope you guys stick with me anyway! One chapter in and I am already loving this story again!
> 
> If you haven't, please read the other story before this one, or you will be very confused ! ahhaha.
> 
> Also, please leave kudos and comments if you liked! Hope to see you soon!


End file.
